[Logistics Union's Power Abuse] 'Tears Soaked Bread' in the Labor Fight

Minnochoong and Hannochoong Delivery Drivers' Turf War
Cargo Solidarity Union's Nationwide Solidarity Strike Spreads
Obstruction of Substitute Vehicle Procurement and Direct Transport
Paris Baguette Franchise Owners Suffer Fully
"Condemn Unions Only Seeking Self-Interest" National Petition

On the 14th, members of the Cargo Solidarity affiliated with the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (vehicle owners) are taking collective action at the entrance of the SPC GFS Gwangju Logistics Center.

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Hye-seon] "Due to the illegal strike enforced by the Korean Public Service and Transport Workers' Union (KPTU), over 3,400 franchise stores are trembling with anxiety. The union is exploiting the Chuseok holiday peak season to secure only their own interests, driving self-employed business owners to the brink."

On the 14th, a franchise owner operating a Paris Baguette store in Gwangju submitted a petition to the Blue House's national petition system. The petitioner stated, "With the prolonged COVID-19 crisis, the business environment has already reached its worst state," adding, "The union is using powerless self-employed business owners as hostages amid conflicts between unions to pursue their own interests through strikes, and the resulting damages are entirely borne by the franchise owners." He lamented, "Despite the illegal strike by the Cargo Solidarity Union, franchise stores are striving to continue business operations by securing substitute vehicles from early morning or personally visiting logistics centers to transport products, but this is also not easy due to physical obstruction by the Cargo Solidarity Union." ▷Related article on page 2

Self-employed business owners are suffering under the unchecked tyranny of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU). The strike by the KCTU Cargo Solidarity Union, which began in Gwangju due to conflicts between transportation companies and unions over the delivery routes of Paris Baguette delivery vehicles, has spread nationwide. As of midnight on the 15th, the Cargo Solidarity Union began a solidarity strike at 10 Paris Baguette logistics centers including Wonju, Daegu, and Seongnam.

The background of the strike involves a power struggle between delivery drivers affiliated with the Federation of Korean Trade Unions (FKTU) and those affiliated with the KCTU. Last month, SPC Group increased the number of cargo trucks by two in response to the KCTU delivery drivers' demand for additional vehicles to reduce working hours. During this process, delivery drivers affiliated with FKTU and KCTU clashed over securing favorable routes, leading the KCTU to initiate the strike.

The solidarity strike has expanded even to regions initially unrelated to the strike, causing damages to franchise owners to snowball. In the early stages of the strike, stores operated using bread they made themselves instead of bread supplied by headquarters, but recently, the number of franchise stores unable to make bread due to the failure to receive raw materials has increased. The strike by the union, enforced just before the Chuseok holiday peak season, is exacerbating the damages.

Despite news of about 1,000 store closures daily and suicides among self-employed business owners exhausted by financial hardship, criticism arises that the union is only looking out for its own interests. Lee Joong-hee, chairman of the Paris Baguette Franchise Owners Association, said, "Franchise owners are suffering severe sales losses and damages," and "We strongly condemn the behavior of the Cargo Solidarity delivery strike drivers who are exploiting the Chuseok holiday peak season to secure only their own interests."